The Crucible Alternate Ending
by Catchick10
Summary: I had to create an alternate ending to The Crucible for Enlish class. I don't really like it, but I figured as long as I have it, I might as well post it :P A little OOC probably , I don't own any of the characters or anything. Rated T Just to be safe.


**So, I had to write this for English class. I wrote it in one day, and I don't really like my ending, but it's just sitting here on my computer so I decided to post it and see what you guys think - Hopefully if you like it, my teacher will too :P I don't own any of the characters or the story, so, yeah. I hope you like it :)**

The Crucible Alternate Ending

_Danforth has just told Abigail and Proctor to turn their backs. They have done so, and Elizabeth has entered the room. Cheever is ready to report the testimony._

DANFORTH: Goody Proctor, your husband has told me that Abigail Williams once worked as a servant for you. Is that true?

ELIZABETH: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH_ nods, then: _He has told me that you dismissed her. Does he speak the truth?

ELIZABETH: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH: For what reason did you dismiss her? _Elizabeth stays silent, as she does not know what to say. _For what reason did you dismiss Abigail Williams, Goody Proctor?

ELIZABETH: She were— _she trails off, not knowing how to respond. She looks to Proctor for help, but he cannot see her, as his back is still turned. _

DANFORTH: She were what?

ELIZABETH: She were—I thought—I knew that she fancied John, and I thought—_she trails off._

DANFORTH: You thought what?

ELIZABETH: I thought—_Pause._

DANFORTH: You came to think that he fancied her as well, am I correct?

ELIZABETH: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH: Were you correct? Did your husband indeed fancy Abigail Williams?

ELIZABETH, _not knowing how to reply: _He—I love my husband very much, Mr. Danforth, and I am certain he loves me as well.

DANFORTH:That may be so, but that does not change what may have happened, nor does it answer my question. Did your husband commit the crime of lechery?

_There is a long moment of silence as Elizabeth considers her answer._

ELIZABETH, _quietly:_ Aye, sir.

DANFORTH, _shocked_: Aye?

ELIZABETH: Aye.

DANFORTH, _turning to Abigail, who now looks horrified. _Does she speak the truth?

ABIGAIL: No, sir.

DANFORTH: You wish to tell me that both Mr. Proctor and his wife are lying, and that you were never with Mr. Proctor?

ABIGAIL: That is correct, Your Honour.

PROCTOR: She lies!

DANFORTH, _to Proctor: _What proof do you have of this?

PROCTOR: I have confessed to lechery! What more proof do you need?

DANFORTH: Your confession is not proof, Mr. Proctor. How am I to know that you speak the truth?

PROCTOR: How are you to know that she speaks the truth?

DANFORTH: She has no reason to lie, Mr. Proctor.

PROCTOR: What reason do I have to lie? Why would I confess had I not done the deed? Why would my wife say that I am a lecher if it were not true? Lying about such a thing would be foolish, Mr. Danforth. It would do nothing but blacken my name in the community.

HALE: He makes sense, Your Excellency. He has no reason to speak lies that would blacken his name.

ABIGAIL, _before Danforth can reply_: He lies, Your Honour. He lies!

DANFORTH, _to Abigail_: Are you saying that Mr. Proctor did not turn to you while you were his servant? He committed no crime?

ABIGAIL: That is correct, sir.

DANFORTH: If that were the case, why would he say that he committed the crime?

ABIGAIL: I know not, sir.

DANFORTH: You must have a reason. What reason have you to say that Mr. Proctor is not speaking the truth? Why are you saying this, child?

ABIGAIL, _frantically trying to come up with a response_: Because—because—I saw Mr. Proctor with the Devil!

PROCTOR, _astonished and outraged_: Abby!

ABIGAIL: John, I cannot lie anymore! God damns all liars! I must speak the truth!

DANFORTH, _to Proctor_: Does she speak the truth?

PROCTOR: No! She is a lying—

ABIGAIL: It is true, it is true! His spirit comes to me in the night and bids me do his work! He says that he will kill me if I do not! He will make sure that I will hang!

PROCTOR: Abby—

ABIGAIL, _sobbing_: He comes to me at night and forces me to accuse people of witchcraft! It was he who made me accuse Goody Nurse and Goody Osburn and even his own wife!

DANFORTH, _to Proctor_: Does she speak the truth?

PROCTOR: No! She lies. She wishes for my wife to die because she wants me!

ABIGAIL,_ still sobbing_: That is not true, Your Honour. I would never wish death upon another person.

DANFORTH: Of course not. _To Proctor_: What have you to say for yourself, Mr. Proctor? Will you confess to working with the Devil, or will you burn in Hell with all the others who have refused to confess?

PROCTOR: I will not confess, for I have done nothing wrong. Take me to jail if you must, but I will not confess to something I have not done.

DANFORTH, _to Marshal_: Take him away.

THE CURTAIN FALLS

ACT FOUR

_In a Salem jail cell, which has one lone inhabitant. The man is filthy, with his clothes in rags and his hair matted. He sleeps on the floor, among the rats and spiders that have found homes there._

_The opening of the door wakes him up. Herrick enters with Elizabeth._

HERRICK: Your wife has requested to speak to you before sunrise, Mr. Proctor. _He walks out the door and closes it behind him, leaving Proctor and Elizabeth alone._

PROCTOR: Elizabeth. Are you well?

ELIZABETH: I suppose. And yourself?

PROCTOR: I am fine, but it matters not. I am set to hang at sunrise.

ELIZABETH: I have heard, and that is why I have come.

PROCTOR: I—

ELIZABTH: I have been thinking, John, that you should confess.

PROCTOR: But I have done nothing wrong.

ELIZABETH: I know, John. But if you do not confess, you will hang.

PROCTOR: God damns all liars, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH: He has not damned those who have confessed, only those who have who have confessed are still living.

PROCTOR: I cannot live knowing that I have lied to do so.

ELIZABETH: So, instead you will die for Abigail's lie?

PROCTOR: If I must.

ELIZABETH: But you mustn't, John!

_There is a pause. Before Proctor has a chance to answer, Herrick enters the room._

HERRICK,_ to Elizabeth_: Goody Proctor, you must leave now. The sun is coming up. _To Proctor: _Someone will be here to fetch you soon, unless you wish to confess.

ELIZABETH,_ whispers, with a pleading glance: _Please, John.

PROCTOR, _ignores her. _T_o Herrick: _I do not.

_Herrick nods, then escorts Elizabeth out of the room. He returns her to her cell, then returns to where the others are._

HERRICK, _to Danforth_: He will not confess, sir.

DANFORTH: Then he must hang. Go fetch him, and Goody Nurse as well.

HERRICK: Aye, sir. _He leaves to do as he was told._

HATHORNE: What now, Your Honour?

DANFORTH: We shall give them one more chance to confess. If they do not, they will hang.

_The two wait in silence until Herrick returns with Proctor and Rebecca Nurse._

DANFORTH: The sun has come up, and most of the village is in the town centre, waiting for you to hang. Do either of you wish to confess? _Silence. To Proctor_: Mr. Proctor, do wish to confess?

PROCTOR: I do not. I will not lie to keep my life.

DANFORTH, _to Rebecca_: Goody Nurse, do you wish to confess?

REBECCA: I cannot. God damns all liars, and I cannot damn myself. I would sooner die than damn myself.

DANFORTH: Very well then. You will both hang.

_Proctor and Rebecca are taken to the centre of the village, where all the previous executions took place. As they are about to hang, Abigail enters._

ABIGAIL: Stop! Stop!

_There is a shocked silence._

DANFORTH: Excuse me?

ABIGAIL: I said stop! This man is innocent!

DANFORTH, _confused: _But it is you who said that you saw him with the Devil.

ABIGIAL: I lied.

DANFORTH: You mean to tell me that you have made a false accusation against this man?

ABIGAIL: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH: And what reason would you have for doing such a thing?

ABIGAIL: He spoke the truth before! I have always loved him, and I wanted his wife to die so we could be together! _Danforth stares at her in shocked silence. _When he confessed to lechery earlier, I suspected that you believed him, and I did not know what to say. The first thing that entered my mind was to accuse him of witchcraft, as I have done to so many others.

DANFORTH: What about the others? If you lied about this man, surely you lied about the others. Did you let them die for your lies?

ABIGAIL: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH: But you were attacked by the spirits of the accused in the courtroom, and Goody Proctor put a needle into your stomach! Was that not real?

ABIGAIL: That were all pretense, sir. Mary Warren spoke the truth when she told you so.

DANFORTH: You mean to tell me that you all sat in court, lying, knowing that innocent people would die, simply because you wanted to be with Mr. Proctor?

ABIGAIL: Aye, sir.

DANFORTH: Now, child, if you only wanted Goody Proctor to die, why did you accuse so many others?

ABIGAIL: It was not my intention, sir. I only meant to accuse Goody Proctor, but the other girls joined in and began to accuse others. I could do nothing to stop it.

DANFORTH: Perhaps you speak the truth, child, but I know not. Goody Nurse and Mr. Proctor have not confessed, therefore they will hang.

ABIGIAL: But they cannot! They are innocent!

DANFORTH: According to you, so were all the others, and they still hanged.

ABIGAIL: But it is too late to take that back. There is still time to stop this!

DANFORTH: There is nothing I can do, child. Those who have committed crimes must hang.

ABIGAIL, _frustrated_: They have committed no crimes!

_Danforth looks at her for a moment, then moves to speak to Hathorne, who is standing nearby. They speak quietly for a moment before going back to where Abigail stands._

HATHORNE: If you speak the truth, child, then the accused have committed no crimes. However—

ABIGAIL: I speak the truth sir.

HATHORNE, _irritated about being interrupted_: However, you have committed a crime.

ABIGAIL_, acting surprised_: I have committed no crime, sir.

DANFORTH: Aye, but you have, child.

HATHORNE: You are responsible for the murder of a large number of innocent people.

ABIGAIL: I—

DANFORTH: If you really do speak the truth—

ABIGAIL: Oh, I do, sir.

DANFORTH: Then Judge Hathorne and I have come to think that you are the one that has committed the crimes, and you are the one who should hang.

ABIGAIL: But, I—

HATHORNE: Are you going to deny that you speak the truth now that you are the one who will hang?

ABIGAIL,_ thinks for a moment, then: _No, sir. I do not wish to deny it.

DANFORTH: Then it is you who shall hang. Mr. Proctor and Goody Nurse will not hang.

_Rebecca and Proctor are released. _

THE CURTAIN FALLS

Echoes Down the Corridor

After Proctor and Rebecca were released, Abigail was hung instead. There were no other accusations after this, and those in jail were released. The other girls were not punished.

Elizabeth had a baby girl, and she and Proctor lived together happily for a long time. All four of their children grew up to be successful.

Parris was ashamed of what his niece had done, so he and his daughter left town immediately after her death. Hale decided to stay in Salem, and he took Parris' place after he left.

Danforth and Hathorne were unwilling to admit that they had been wrong, and they left the area as well.

**Please review and let me know what you think. If you hated it, be honest, because I'd really like to know. And for those of you who are following my other story(ies) I will be updating as soon as I can (which will hopefully be soon). Review! :)**


End file.
